Program Manager

As a 100% employee-owned company, Aprios Custom MFG is continuously interested in experienced, motivated, and driven professionals to join our team. We offer employees a fast-paced manufacturing environment, strong opportunities for personal and professional growth, and a competitive salary and benefits package. The Manufacturing Program Manager at Aprios Custom MFG is responsible for leading new molding and additive manufacturing programs from kickoff through validation execution and production readiness. Acting as the primary point of contact for customers, this role drives communication, accountability, scheduling, and cross-functional execution throughout the program lifecycle. The Manufacturing Program Manager works closely with tooling, engineering, quality, manufacturing, purchasing, and operations to ensure customer expectations, timelines, budgets, and deliverables are achieved. This position requires a highly organized and proactive leader capable of managing multiple complex programs simultaneously while maintaining professionalism, urgency, and strong communication across customers, suppliers, and internal teams. This role is not intended to function as an individual contributor engineering position, but rather as the organizational leader responsible for driving successful program execution, maintaining alignment across departments, escalating risks early, and ensuring the technical and operational strengths of the organization are leveraged effectively. Primary Mission: The Manufacturing Program Manager is responsible for leading customer programs from concept through production by managing schedules, priorities, risks, communication, and deliverables across the organization. Success in this role is measured by the ability to maintain momentum across multiple complex programs, remove barriers to execution, utilize organizational resources effectively, and drive consistent execution in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Primary Responsibilities (Listed in Priority Order): Serve as the primary point of contact between customers and internal teams, ensuring customer expectations, communication, timelines, and deliverables are managed professionally throughout the program lifecycle. Lead customer meetings, provide program status updates, communicate risks proactively, and develop recovery plans when schedules, deliverables, or program objectives are challenged. Develop, maintain, and manage project schedules, milestones, budgets, action items, and program priorities across multiple concurrent manufacturing programs. Manage program scope, engineering changes, tooling modifications, validation activities, and customer-driven changes while maintaining alignment to schedule, budget, and production objectives. Lead cross-functional program execution across tooling, engineering, quality, manufacturing, purchasing, operations, and suppliers by maintaining accountability, proactively identifying risks, escalating issues early, removing barriers to execution, and ensuring critical deliverables remain on track. Coordinate IQ/OQ/PQ validation activities, scheduling, and cross-functional alignment with Quality and Manufacturing teams. Facilitate technical and operational discussions between customers and internal teams to support efficient decision-making, issue resolution, and successful program execution. Monitor program performance, resource constraints, operational priorities, and execution risks to support scalable and efficient program delivery across the organization. Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on improving program execution, communication, organizational efficiency, and scalability across the business. Act as an organizational force multiplier by coordinating resources effectively, leveraging cross-functional technical expertise, and ensuring organizational strengths are utilized efficiently to achieve customer and business objectives. Required Skills / Abilities: Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead structured meetings, maintain accountability, drive decisions, and ensure action items are completed across all levels of the organization. Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with customers, suppliers, production personnel, engineering teams, and executive leadership in fast-paced environments. Ability to maintain composure, professionalism, and sound decision-making while managing difficult conversations, competing priorities, schedule pressure, and program escalations. Strong organizational and program management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex manufacturing programs simultaneously while maintaining urgency and attention to detail. Proven ability to drive cross-functional execution and maintain momentum across tooling, engineering, quality, manufacturing, purchasing, and operations teams. Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Project and experience managing schedules, milestones, budgets, action items, and resource priorities. Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills with the ability to identify risks early, escalated issues appropriately, and drive effective resolution paths. Experience managing customer expectations, supplier timelines, engineering changes, and manufacturing deliverables within deadline-driven environments. Experience working within manufacturing environments, preferably medical device, contract manufacturing, injection molding, or other regulated industries. Familiarity with IQ/OQ/PQ validations, manufacturing qualification activities, and production readiness processes is preferred. Knowledge of injection molding, additive manufacturing, tooling, or DFM principles is highly beneficial but not required. PMP certification is strongly preferred. Education / Experience: Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing program or project management experience within medical device, contract manufacturing, injection molding, or other deadline-driven manufacturing environments required. PMP certification is strongly preferred. SCRUM, Agile, CAPM, or other relevant project management certifications are considered a plus. Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or related technical field preferred. Injection molding experience, certifications, or technical manufacturing experience are highly beneficial but not required. Physical Requirements & Work Environment Physical Requirements: Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Manual dexterity required to operate computer peripherals and office equipment. Primary work is performed in a professional office setting. Occasional visits to the manufacturing floor may be required, involving exposure to moderate noise levels and industrial equipment. Benefits & Rewards Competitive Compensation: Salary range: $110,000 - $130,000 ESOP Ownership: As an employee-owner, you will directly benefit from the company’s success through wealth creation and retirement income. Growth Potential: We prioritize internal development and provide opportunities for professional certification and career advancement. Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance with HRA, Dental/Eye HRA, Life and Short-Term Disability insurance. Retirement: 401K plan with company matching and ESOP participation Time off: Unlimited PTO Equal Opportunity Employer: Aprios Custom MFG is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Accommodation Request: Aprios Custom MFG is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact View phone number on click.appcast.io. Wage Transparency: In compliance with Minnesota law, the salary range listed is a good faith estimate of the starting base salary for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, skills, and qualifications. #J-18808-Ljbffr